Prepare the correct formatting
- All Dissertations must have a 1.5 inch margin on the left side; to accommodate binding of the dissertation.
- All Dissertation title pages must reflect the information and format of the sample page - use TitleCase to assist with correct capitalization
- A dissertation may have a second title page that follows the writing style used or academic unit convention.
- Please carefully review your submission for clarity, spelling and graduate school requirements.
- Documents that adhere to the published Graduate School requirements, process faster through our office.
- DO NOT SUBMIT SIGNATURE PAGES
- In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline shall be followed. The three most commonly used at UMSL are:
Abstracts
- Abstracts are required for all dissertations submitted to the Graduate School.
- The abstract for the IRL@UMSL site must be no longer than 350 words.
Schedule Oral Defense, Announcement & Final Version of Dissertation
- Work with your committee to choose a date that is at least 3 weeks away.
- Schedule a room that is appropriate for the defense.
- Consult the Graduation Deadlines to determine your graduating semester and the timeline for submitting final documents.
The following packet should be submitted and uploaded to the D Form portal. They must arrive, with all signatures, in the Graduate School queue 3 weeks before the oral defense. Co-Authored dissertation note - All co-authors must upload the same D6, D9 and dissertation version packet
- D6 form - the items below are uploaded & submitted as one packet with this form.
- Oral Defense Announcement/D9 - uploaded as a Word doc - You must use the format in the D9. [Note: Abstracts must be 350 words or less.]
- A nearly final copy of your dissertation
The Oral Defense Announcement will be posted on the Graduate School Website and the internal canvas group for graduate faculty. The announcement information is also posted on our social media pages 24 hours prior to the defense.
Oral Defense
- Submit the D7 after your oral defense.
- The form will travel to each member and then to your chairperson, after members sign.
- The chairperson will sign, then it will move to the Graduate PRogram Director, then to the Graduate School
Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates
Students earning a Ph.D. are required to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates. When you complete the survey, a copy of your certificate of completion will be sent to the Graduate School by the Survey. Please keep a copy for your records.
Students completing a professional doctorate degree [DBA, DNP or EdD] should not complete the survey.
Please note that the survey year ends in June. If you are a Summer graduate, August graduates should complete the survey, starting on July 1.
Submit Final Dissertation [2 different submission sites]
After the oral defense and all committee recommended changes have been implemented, doctoral students must upload their dissertation to 2 different sites. The same version must be uploaded to both sites - please be sure that your dissertation meets the requirements above so that it can be reviewed quickly.
Single Authors
After the Graduate School confirms title page and margins, your dissertation will be sent to your dissertation advisor for their approval. After your advisor approves, the dissertation will return to the Graduate School for final approval, after all graduation requirements are met.
Students are responsible for all fees associated with submission and publishing. The University has no restrictions on the options offered by Proquest/UMI.
Co-Authors
- IRL@UMSL - Upload Instructions - this only needs to be done one time for the group
- Choose one person to complete this task – all author names should be indicated in the submission and use UMSL email addresses for contact info during the upload process, as IRL asks for contact information for each author.
- Proquest/UMI
- Each member will complete this process, separately, with the same version of the dissertation.
If you need to delay availability in the UMSL library, please indicate this request within your uploads to IRL@UMSL and ProQuest. The embargos are subject to Graduate School policies. Please contact the Graduate School if your dissertation needs to be withheld from the public for up to 60 months.
Checklist for Final Degree Approval
The Graduate School will give final approval of your doctoral degree after:
- All courses on transcript have letter grades [no DL or IP grades]
- We have proof of completion of the Survey of Earned Doctorates [Ph.D. only]
- Chairperson approval of final dissertation
- All posted requirements have been met
Since final grades are due after the end of the graduating semester, expect this process to take a couple of weeks to be fully completed. We will contact you via UMSL email as we complete this process.
Personal Copies
The Graduate School will not accept any materials intended for personal copies or gift copies for the committee. Students must order all copies from Proquest/UMI.
Copyright Information
Copyrighting is optional. You can register your copyright directly with the U.S. government or through Proquest/UMI offers to file the registration for you. Request for copyright occurs at the time of submission.